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Dear Archway Friends and Family,

As April was drawing to a chilly close, the Archway Campus was filled with students, staff, and community members for the 13th Annual Hands Around the Lake event. Although the initial purpose of the event was to promote Autism Awareness and Acceptance, it has come to symbolize Archway's commitment to the students and clients on the Autism Spectrum.  

Every touch point in the life of an Autistic person provides an opportunity to learn more and develop better communication skills. With understanding and compassion, these moments can positively impact Autistic people and provide us with better insight into their daily lives. With this in mind, students shared their own thoughts and experiences about living life on the spectrum with the event participants. Their stories provided us with the insight we can use to support them in reaching their full potential as they progress into adulthood. As we come together each year, we are reminded that we share the responsibility to educate not just our students and clients but also the people in our community.  

I want to thank the Waterford Township Police for participating in our event. Their blue badges signified their commitment to Autism Awareness and Acceptance, and their presence confirmed their intent. As always, they were a welcome addition to our event.  

Although my schedule prevented me from attending, please know that I was standing with you in spirit. I am proud of each staff member, student, family member, and guest who stood side by side on that chilly April morning to support those on the spectrum. Together, we can continue to make a positive difference.  

Thank you to all of the Archway staff for going above and beyond and for the difference you make in the lives of so many people. 

Sincerely,

George Richards

CEO/CFO

A cool spring morning and the sun shining on the lake provided a beautiful backdrop to the Archway Hands Around the Lake event on Thursday morning. The chill was no match for the dedication of the Archway Programs’ staff, students, family, and friends. The Hands Around the Lake event was successful, thanks to everyone that took the time to stand with us in support of Autism Awareness. We want to thank the staff members and the maintenance staff that made today possible. A shout out and a thank you to Lieutenant Daniel Chiumento and Officer Nicholas Fabrizio of the Waterford Township Police Department for joining us and sharing the event with our students and staff. Your continued efforts for inclusion and safety measures for the Autistic population are appreciated. Thank you, Jackie, from Action News, for taking the time to come out and film our event, enabling us to share our story with a broader audience.  

Mr. Noah the new

Upper School Principal

Mr. Logan the new

Lower School Principal

Mr. Za’Mir the new

Cooper's Poynt School Principal

Archway Upper School is excited to welcome Mr. Noah, a seasoned student representative, to the Archway family as the new Upper School principal. We are equally excited to welcome Mr. Logan, a longtime student proponent, as the Lower School principal, and Mr. Za’Mir, a celebrated student advocate, as our Cooper’s Poynt School principal. We wish all three new principals the best of luck and continued success in their new positions.   

Upper School Students Share Their Creativity

Students in the Upper School art classes studied the work of Jen Stark and Salvador Dali. Jen Stark is known for her hypnotic drip paintings, and Salvador Dali is most famous for his work in Surrealism. The creatively designed bulletin boards gracing the Upper School hallways were inspired by Jen Stark’s many murals and Dali’s Persistence of Memory. Excellent work, students and staff!

Upper School Egg Hunt 

On Monday, the Upper School students and staff had a special visitor “egging” on the younger students during their spring celebration egg hunt. Students spent time outside peeking behind corners and under bushes for eggs filled with goodies, while the Easter Bunny provided lots of hugs and hints while posing for a few photos with eager egg hunters. The students had lots of fun searching and enjoying their hidden goodies.  

The older students had a wonderful time in a lighthearted competition with their friends and staff during Hoppy Games. It was great fun cheering on friends during a Bunny Race, complete with potato sacks, playing corn hole, and keeping a wooden tower from falling during a game of Life-Size Jenga.  

What a great “Eggscape” during the school day! 

Upper School Drum Circle

Upper School students participating in Mr. Gabe's Music therapy formed a drum circle during one of this week's sessions. Drum circles are known to increase concentration and focus while also reducing stress and improving the mood of participants and listeners. We thought we would share a few moments with you so you could enjoy the benefits of their beautiful music. 

Lower School Bunny Hop Dance 

The myth, the legend, the Easter Bunny, hopped on by the Lower School for the Bunny Hop Dance today. Students enjoyed music, dancing, snacks, games, and crafts. They had their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny, and they even shared a few dances with him! Everyone had an "egg-ceptionally" good time! It was the perfect start to an exciting Spring Break! 

Taking Some Time for a Little Bit of Fun

Even though it was a shortened month due to Spring Break, Cooper's Poynt students and staff maintained their focus on instruction and final preparations for State Testing, which began immediately following the break on April 26th. The students are doing a great job, staying focused and putting forth their best effort on the testing. We did mix in a bit of fun. Students enjoyed a Rita's Water Ice treat/movie earned by Blue and Gold Card holders and an Easter Egg Hunt, which everyone (old and young) enjoyed. All in all, it was a great, although quick, month. 

Cooper’s Poynt Clears the Way for Spring Blooms 

Students and staff at our Cooper’s Poynt location broke out their gardening tools to clear the way for spring planting. We can’t wait to see what beautiful blooms emerge. 

Sunshine and Yoga with the Alpacas 

The ladies from our Voorhees location rolled out their yoga mats for some meditation and yoga with a few furry alpaca friends at Morning Glori Farmette in Evesham. The ladies enjoyed a meet and greet with the alpaca herd and later enjoyed their company during their special yoga session. What an enjoyable day for the ladies and their new alpaca friends! 

Adult Counseling & Therapy (ACT) Tea Party 

April was a busy month for Adult Counseling & Therapy (ACT) Program consumers! April was Jazz Appreciation Month, Poetry Appreciation Month, and National Afternoon Tea Month. A couple of months ago, one of the consumers, Jim London (shaved head, black shirt), asked if the group could do a fancy tea party. So, they rolled all special events into a Poetry-Jazz Tea Party! Consumers enjoyed various teas, including fruity herbal teas, authentic Chinese and Japanese teas, and a delicious selection of low sugar and no sugar cookies. While everyone enjoyed their tea and snacks, Darlene Lauber shared two original poems with the group. Everyone listened to and enjoyed a selection of Classic Jazz Standards, and Typhanie and consumer Daniel serenaded the crowd with a couple of their favorite jazz songs.  

Everyone enjoyed the special day of music, literature, and tasty tea! 

March may be over, but March Madness continues at our Saturday respite program, but with no eliminations! Participants enjoyed a day of basketball, snacks, and spring-time crafts with their friends. It was a great day to get together, and everyone had a wonderful time, and they are already looking forward to next Saturday!   

Hope and Discover April Fool’s Joke  

You can have academic degrees, years of experience, existential insight, money and power, bacon and eggs, or a car and gas and still be a “fool”—an APRIL FOOL! To bring some humor, as he usually does, and being himself, as he encourages us all to do, Director Jay Montague decided to stay late this particular day. His usual work was done, but there was one last job he had set out to do—dress up in a certified ‘Jason’ jumpsuit. While wearing an ultra-white mask and armed with a long shiny object, he hid in the woods waiting for staff to drive by so that he could April fool us (Counselor-Ms. Caitlin was the biggest target). What a fool Mr. Jay was; while he was off work two days straight, we took this as an opportunity to make a “fool” out of him! We cobwebbed his office, starting with his door, inflated 100 balloons, and littered his floor with spiders. We covered everything possible with extremely sticky post-it notes, disassembled his pens, changed his chair settings, and installed other unknown elements throughout the program he frequents (bathroom, conference room, nurses' office). Let’s just say he could not work from his office for several hours! APRIL FOOLS! Oh, the long shiny object Jason was sporting was a kitchen tong!  

As a side note, just in case you wondered why all the spiders, the director is terrified of bugs, especially spiders, spider webs, legs, and the creepy way they crawl. That is why we made sure to stick a few in the paper towel holder; when he went to grab a towel, our creepy little friends dropped out. We added a few spiders to the charts to make sure we covered all our bases. 

Spring Break Brings Home Cooking to the Hope/Discover Program 

During spring break, Mr. Jay and the rest of the Hope/Discover staff decided making home-cooked meals with the kids would be fun and informative. Makenna’s homemade pancakes with eggs, crispy bacon, and a side of fresh fruit were a hit with everyone. Dawn prepared homemade mac and cheese, rotisserie chicken, steamed broccoli, and a fresh juicy orange for dessert. Mr. Jay showed off his culinary skills with pasta and a delicious homemade meat sauce with a side of fresh veggies and apples for dessert. Another delicious meal included chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, and Halo oranges. The students and staff had a wonderful time with meal prep, and they loved all the home-cooked goodness! 

Welcome to the Archway Family!

We are proud to welcome new employees to the Archway Family as our organization expands, allowing us to help more families throughout the community. Please help us give a warm welcome to the newest members of the Archway Family!

Allies Expands Residential Program  

Allies, Inc. is pleased to announce that they’ve expanded their residential program with the addition of four new homes in South Jersey. The new homes include Perkintown Group Home in Pedricktown, Marlton Group Home in Pilesgrove, and K Drive Group Home and Pittsfield Group Home, both in Pennsville Twp. To learn more visit: https://alliesnj.org/2022/03/31/alliesnewhomes/ 

If you have news or information you would like to see in the next issue of The Bridge, please contact Kelly by phone: 856.767.5757 ext. 242 or by email: kelly.jones@archwayprograms.org.